Tumbling and polishing machine.



H. B. RICHARDSON.

TUMBLING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION mum MAR. 22, 1912.

Patented Sept. 17,1912.

He my 3. Richardson.

HENRY IB. RICHARDSON, 0F ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

TUMBLING AND BOLISHINQ HACHTNE.

Application filed March 22, 1912. Serial No. 685,451.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. RICHARD- sox, a citizen of the United States, residing at At-tleboro, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented oer tam new and useful Improvements in Tumbling and Polishing Machines, of which the following is a specification. The improvementforming the subject of this application for Letters Patent relates to tumbling and polishing machines, socalled, employed for polishing or burnishing various articles of metal, such, for example, as jewelry novelties, optical goods, &c., and it. consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the parts constituting the a paratus, all as hereinafter fully disclose and claimed. V e

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

Figure -1 represents a. longitudinal? central sectional view, partly in side elevation, of a polishing machine embodying improvement; Fig. 2 is a side view, in e arged scale, of the open skeleton frame, provided with a series of independentl removable containers for holding the artic es to be polished; Fig. 3 represents a corresponding end view; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the containers, detached; and Fig. 5 is a Sectional view, taken .on line 5-5'0f Fig. 4.

The lnachine as a whole is designated by the letter A. It is provided with a plurality of polygonal-shaped" independent drawers or apertured containers E, removably mounted in a skeleton frame D, revolubly supported horizontally in a stationary main tank B; the chamber C of the latter is adapted to hold acleansing fluid or wash of soap and water. At the same time polished steel balls, loosely mingling with the mass of goods temporarily confined in the perforated containers, serve to. com lete the polishing operation. Another resu t due to thus treating the goods is to harden the surfaces of the articles, and not to wear away or abrade them. The capacity or output of the machine exceeds that of several polishers, while the finish or luster im arted to the goods by the machine great y excels manually finished goods.

The tank B has ends a, a, a bottom and cover 2', the whole supported by legs I. It is also provided with bearings 12, the latter, 0 has a shaft 8 revolubly mounted therein carrying ulleys p, p, as shown. e inner end of tl ie shaft is adapted to receive a Specification 01 Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 1 7, 1912.

pintle e secured to the end d of the frame D; theopposite end (2 of the latter carriesa pintle e revolubly, supported in the bearmg a. n

The frame D is hexagonal crosssectionally and has four of its sides provided with openings f t-herethrough. n another side the wall is omitted, and the remaining side (the cover b) is removably secured to the frames ends by suitable-means, as for example, by bolts 1mm, and fixed corresponding end plates m,-m, perforated to receive the bolts. To facilitate the removal of the cover a handle I) may be r0vided.- The frame D, as stated, is exagonal and adapted to slidably receive therein trans- .versely a series of independent drawers or work-containers E' also hexa onal inform. Each of the latter has end walls g and apertured side-walls; the apertures It being protected by fine metallic screen-cloth 7a.. Each member E may be further provided with a handle b for obvious use. The members E have each a removable side or cover 12. and a recessed handle I) fixed to itthereby facilis tating accessto the'container. The several covers n, when the members E are normally positionedjn the frame D, lie immediately below the'main cover I) and are held in lace by the end fastening'bolts, before described The manner of operation is substantially as follows: issuming the chamber C of the tank B to iii-partly filled with the washing fluid, sa nearly to the underside of the pintles, an that'a driving-belt, or other suitable drivin means, is employed for rotating the frame ,"and further assuming that the main cover b, as well as some or all of the container covers 12. have been remot edto rener the interior accessible; the operator laces the articles to-be polished i the respective compartments or containe E; a quantity of smooth, non-abrading ste 1 balls is next deposited loosel in the contai ers, followed by replacing tl ie several covers 11. and b and securing them in place. Now, upon revolving the frame D, the surface of the moving articles will the eby be engaged by the moving steel balls'an' the cleansin fluid circulating throu h the containers uring said rotation. A r the articles have been subjected to the cleansing and polishing treatment a length oftim'e, as determined by the judgment of the operator in charge, the

machine is stopped and the contents removed from. the containers; this latter is effected by unlocking the cover 6 and detaching it from the frame D, after which any or all of the several covers n may be readily taken off, thereby exposing the treated contentsfor removal.

If desired, the frame D with the charged container may be elevated bodily from its bearings 0,0, to the desired height,'or even removed wholly from the machine before the coversare taken off. In some cases, it may be'necessary to employ only one of the containers E, the frame D meanwhile remaining supported in its bearings; in such event the machine, when stopped, has the covers uppermost, as "shown. Then, after removing the main cover 6, the'container is adapted to be drawn outward and upward by the handle I), say to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig; 3, followed by removing the cover n. -When thus elevated, the fluid contents thereof readily escape through the I apertured'sides or walls.

I do not claim broadly herein a machine adapted to cleanse and polish jewelry and other small articles of metal by means of circulating treating fluid through revoluble holders or containers having said articles confined therei'n'and associated with polished steel balls.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is

1. In a tumbling and polishing machine of the general class described, the combination with a tank, of a polygonal-shaped apertured frame revolubly mounted in theta-nk,

a cover member removably secured to one face of the frame, a series of apertured independent polygonal-shaped containers arranged side by side and removably fittin the interior of said frame transversely, an having the covers of the several work-charging openings of the containers normally held in place by the said frame opening cover.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a hexagon-shaped main carrying frame having a longitudinal-opem ing through its peripheral wall, a cover normally closing said opening, means for revolving the frame, a plurality of hexagonshaped independent work containers slid-' ers slidably fitting, transversely, the said frame, a main or charging opening formed in each containerarranged to register with that of the frame, a cover element for each container, and means for removably secur ing the covers in position against accidental openmg. 1

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' HENRY B. RICHARDSON. Witnesses:

Gno. H. REMINGTON, CALVIN H. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may -be obtained for five cents each,'by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' l Washington, D. G." 

